Court: Assemblyman Williams must pay child support

Art Nadler

Tuesday, April 14, 1998 | 10:26 a.m.

State Assemblyman Wendell Williams sidestepped the sheriff, but he did not shoot by the trustee.

The U.S. Bankruptcy Court ruled Monday that Williams, D-Las Vegas, must pay $650 a month to fulfill his Chapter 13 obligations. This is in addition to the $500-a-month child support he must also pay his former wife, Debra Gray.

Williams owes Gray $51,200. The Clark County sheriff's office had threatened to auction Williams' two homes to pay the delinquent child support before Monday's ruling.

The sheriff's office agreed in July to delay auctioning the properties when the assemblyman convinced them he had the money to pay the child support.

"This allows Mr. Williams to keep his property," Trustee Kathleen McDonald said. "He probably could pay more. I'll review this again when I get his 1997 tax returns."

Williams is a management analyst for the city of Las Vegas and earns $59,000 a year, McDonald said. She added that he already paid the courts $1,900.

Family Court Judge Gary Redmon ordered last month that Williams must pay the back child support. The couple has two children: Wesley, 17, and Briar, 15. Both children live with their mother.

The assemblyman had been under Chapter 13 bankruptcy protection since July 30. His ex-wife sued the sheriff's office in January for negligence and breach of duty for postponing the auction of the two homes in July.

McDonald said Williams will make payments over five years. The money will be withheld from his pay checks.

Gray had contended that she was forced to auction off her home after the couple ended their seven-year marriage. She said he only made four payments after their divorce and stopped the checks in January 1985.

In defense, Williams said his son, Wesley, lived with him in Las Vegas from the sixth grade through his sophomore year. His daughter lived in Oakland, Calif.